Charles Murray, chairman of the Citizens Compensation Commission, made his point last November when he and the commission pared legislators' salaries by 18%, and cut their living expenses and car allowances.

Legislators' pay had been $116,208, and fell to $95,291. He just announced that the commission is contemplating another 10% cut, which would bring them down to about $85,762. Good for him.

Legislators have lived up to the poor expectations the public has of them, especially in their handling of the budget mess. Their approval rating sat at 16% in the most recent surveys by the Field Poll and the Public Policy Institute of California.

The question is whether a salary of $85,762 is reasonable for a senator who represents roughly a million Californians, and an Assembly member whose district includes almost 500,000 people.

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